Tuesday was a good day for the future of the Texas Tech basketball program. Not only did Drake guard Kevin Overton commit to the Red Raiders out of the transfer portal, but also sophomore Darrion Williams announced his intent to return to Lubbock for the 2024-25 season.
This past season, the former transfer from Nevada averaged 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Along the way, be became arguably Texas Tech’s best all-around player.
Williams was the team’s third-leading scorer in his first year with the program. He trailed only Pop Isaacs (15.8 points per game) and Joe Toussaint (12.2 p.p.g.).
What made Williams even more impressive is that he played his best basketball in Big 12 play. Against conference teams, the 6-foot-6 forward averaged 12.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
Of course, his season highlight was his stellar performance against Kansas. In the Red Raiders’ 79-50 win in Lubbock, Williams scored 30 points on 12-12 shooting from the floor to go along with 11 rebounds. It was one of the best individual games in Red Raider history.
Williams had 19 double-digit scoring games for Tech this past season. His return helps reassure Red Raider fans that the cupboard won’t be bare for the upcoming season.
In the weeks since the season ended, Tech has seen eight players leave the program either through the portal or due to graduation. That’s why fans were worried that Williams, who had not expressed any indication that he was thinking about leaving Lubbock, would also jump ship. Of course, that’s just the nature of the sport these days with the ease of player movement.
Williams now could be the leader of the program and the face of the Red Raiders moving forward. He’s the team’s best returning player and with two years left to play, he could be the centerpiece of the Red Raiders’ future.
Of course, head coach Grant McCasland still has plenty of work to do when it comes to assembling his next roster for the Red Raiders. The roster is far from complete and he has seven scholarships he could hand out. Still, knowing that Williams is part of the future is a huge reassurance and something that every Texas Tech basketball fan should be happy about.
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